Sokka's Love
by JL Wrighton
Summary: Sokka finds the love he's been looking for. Minor Zutara, SokkaxOC
1. Chapter 1

Sokka was leading an expedition to the South Pole. It was five years after the War had ended. Katara married Zuko in a diplomatic marriage at the war's end, but came to love her husband. She came often to the South Pole, so it was fine. Aang wandered around for years but eventually settled down with a nice Earth-bending girl. They now lived in the Eastern Air Temple when Aang wasn't helping the rest of the world. Sokka took over the Water Tribe after Hakoda died. He hadn't married yet, but knew that he would have to eventually. In the meantime he was happy.

They got to the Water Tribe the next morning. People waved when they pulled into the docks. The new Chief, Sadamo came running down to the docks. "Sokka! Pleasure to see you again! How are things in the sister tribe?" Sokka clasped his friend's hand warmly. "Fine. Katara's expecting her second child, the seals have come back, and the tribe has remained healthy this year. You?"

"Oh fine, all fine. We have some warrior trainees and Water benders dueling in the main courtyard tomorrow morning I'm sure you'd be interested." Sokka's eyes lit up. "You have Warrior Training here?"

"Why yes, we want our walls to be protected." Chattering and laughing the friend's went to his house to eat. They spent the night telling each other all of their tribe's latest news.

The next morning Sokka woke before the dawn. He lay still for a second, then dressed and left his room. He jogged up to the walls and climbed up to the guard post. "Hi, I'm going for a quick jog. Just wanted to tell you so I didn't get shot." The guard looked at him. "You might want to run that way. If you go the other way you'll have to contend with Karuko for running space."

"Who's Karuko?"

"She's one of the warriors. She's only a trainee, but very fast and very smart." With that in mind Sokka took off. He ran lightly leaving almost no tracks in the snow. He had worked very hard at this, because it hid the most scent and track. He saw a figure running almost a half-mile ahead of him. Whoever it was really good, because they were barely leaving a track every hundred yards or so. It must be that Karuko person the guard mentioned. She maintained a steady pace all the way and left by the staircase. Sokka finished his run just as the sun came up. He ran back to the palace and changed clothes for the training session.


	2. Chapter 2

Sokka was impressed with the training. The masters set up sparring partners and let everyone go. They would pull up two at a time to the center of the courtyard and they would fight. One in particular caught his eye. She had long legs, and she wore her brown hair in a tight braid like Katara used to. She held a curved whalebone in her hand, with fine steel. It seemed to be a part of her arms as she swung. She was also the only one without a partner. She seemed to be fighting someone no one could see. Sokka walked up to her. "Want to spar? You don't seem to have a partner." She stood up straight and nodded. "Sure, I've beat everyone else." Sokka pulled his swords out and tested them against the edge of his thumb. "Even the masters?" She laughed. "Yeah, sounds about right." She courtesley bowed to him and settled into a stance. They fought smoothly , each blocking and defending in turn. But she stopped when someone called for her. "Karuko! I cut my knee!" She dropped her knife into her belt and ran to the little girl. "What happened?" The little girl sniffled. "I was trying to make an ice spike like the masters do, but I lost control of it and it dropped on my knee." Karuko hugged the little girl. "Oh Rachu. I'm afraid your ideas and dreams are bigger then you. Ice spikes are very dangerous. I know they look like fun. But don't try it unless you have a master teaching you." She bandaged her knee and let her run off. "You're the doctor?" Sokka teased. "Naw but even the warriors need affection." They hung out together for the rest of the week, each telling each other about their warrior training and eventually the rest of their lives.

That night was supposed to be the last night they stayed there, but Sokka didn't want it to end. As he was packing that night she came in. "You want to go for a run?" he agreed and they ran along the ice floes. "I don't mean to be rude but how old are you? You look like you should be married by now." She looked down at her feet and slowed to a walk. "I'm the only woman warrior here. I've spent my whole life fighting stay alive. My parents died when I was ten. I've been doing my own hunting and housecare since then. Master Pakku let me train when the men left. When they came back I wasn't a little girl, and the boys I used to be friends with turned into men. They treated me like a freak. The little children are all I have." Sokka looked at her. "You have me." She turned and smiled through a few tears. "I know."

Sokka was loading the ships again when Karuko came. "I want you to have this." She held out her secondary blade, a fine piece of workmanship. Carved into the hilt was his name. "Thank you. I haven't had one of these since my father's blade exploded in a fire." She hugged him tightly. 'Please come back someday my friend." She ran away after that and the fleet left. He turned around to see if she was there and saw her high above him on the wall. She waved just before he dropped out of sight beyond the horizon.


	3. Chapter 3

When Sokka came back to the Southern Water tribe Katara and Zuko were there. "Sis!" he shouted when he saw her. As soon as he was close enough he dropped out of the ship and swam to shore. "You shouldn't travel when you're six months pregnant." He looked worried. Zuko stood nearby. "I've been keeping a careful eye on her. She's been fine." Sokka nodded at him. "Thank you."

Zuko had grown up from his bitter teenage self. The anger that so often hovered around his eyes was replaced with kindness. Even as Sokka watched him, Zuko played with some of the village children. He seemed so happy these days, and Sokka noticed the love in his eyes when he looked at Katara. "Where's Iroh?" Sokka asked, referring to his 3 year-old nephew. "Oh he's staying in the capital. He's a firebender you know." Katara had always seemed proud of her little family. They were her everything. If it hadn't been for her warm, motherly nature, the Fire Nation wouldn't have trusted as easily as they did.

She hugged her brother tightly, tears in her eyes. The brother she had looked up to so much was gone, replaced by a strong, brave leader. He had trained into a conditioned warrior. After he hugged her he helped unpack the ships. Despite her large stomach, Katara shouldered his pack and walked to his little tent.

After Hakoda died and Katara left, Sokka gave their large home away to another family in the tribe. He know owned a small tent in the village. It was just big enough for some old family things and his personal items. She unrolled his sleeping bag and felt something hard in it. She pulled out a whalebone knife with Sokka's name carved carefully into the handle. As she rubbed it she noticed a faint mark around it. She bended some water around it to magnify it. A heart, lightly carved and rubbed out could be seen. She put the water back in a pot. Whoever gave this to him must have liked him.

It was late into the night when Katara brought up the knife. "Who gave you the knife in your sleeping bag?" Sokka blushed. "This uh… warrior girl I met when I was up North. She gave it to me." Sokka refused to talk about it anymore that night but Katara was interested.

It was early morning as Sokka pulled on his shoes. Zuko called for him outside. "Come in." Sokka said. Zuko came in holding a messenger bird on his arm. "This came for you." Sokka unrolled the message.



''''''''

Sokka sat down to write a response to her, his run could wait a little while.

_Dear Karuko,_

_I hope it's better behaved then my old bird. That one bit me several times before it just left. Running's my kind of mediating, that's why I do it so much. The seals are brown with darker brown spots on them. Rachu reminds me of my sister when she was little. She would bend in odd little bursts, usually getting me very wet. Katara actually came to see the tribe while I was gone. She'll be leaving soon, seeing as she's six months pregnant. I'm sure she'll appreciate the stone. Would you like it sent back to you afterwards? I usually run northwest, up an ice mountain and back down to the village. We might be coming back next summer. Your knife works great, thank you for it, Sokka_


	4. Chapter 4

Letters came and went between them. Sokka was completely in love with this girl. She was his age, and she was so much like him it was crazy. He wanted to run to the South Pole and propose to her, but the Chief of a village can't just leave on a whim.

A year later, Sokka was going back. He sent the messenger hawk 3 days ahead of him then set off. They ran into a storm, so they found a island to stay on for the night. That entire night Sokka rubbed a necklace. He had made an engagement necklace and he wanted to give it to Karuko. He had known her for a year, been in love with her 7 months. He had been working on this necklace all the hard winter. During the storms he would work on it. It was made out of a blue stone, almost an inch wide. Made from a rare stone, found only in some parts of the North Pole, it sparlked in darkness and in light. It had an etching of a curved whalebone knife in great detail. Aunty had made a webbing of blue fabric, elastic, so that it could be stretched over her head. The stone sparkled and shined. It was going to look so beautiful when she wore it.

When they arrived, Karuko was nowhere to be found. He headed onto the ice after staking the ships. Everyone was hurried and didn't seem to notice the visitors. He turned to the others. 'Refresh on supplies, then head to the inn. Make sure the ships are taken care of. I'm going to announce us to the Chief. Sokka ran, not to the palace, but to the pavilion that the Warriors trained on. Something was wrong, he could feel it. He found the pavilion and ran inside. Only Master Pakkuwas there an he looked tired beyond all belie. "Sokka! We weren't expecting you so soon." Sokka looked confused. "You should have. I sent Karuko's hawk, and askdher to tell you guys that we were coming." Pakku sat down on the floor. "But no one but Karuko ever check's the hawk. And she's dying." Pakku's voice sounded old and tired.

"WHAT!" Sokka yelled. "How can she be dying? She sounded fine in all her letters." Pakku rubbed his eyes. "We had some Fire Nation traders come. They visited the market on the same day that she did. She contracted a deadly disease from them. If she lives through the night, she'll live the rest of her life. But the odds aren't in her favor. The disease is contagious, so as soon as she realized she had it, she isolated herself to the oasis. She didn't let anyone in. Rashu is praying to every god she can think of, in an attempt to save her life. The scouts went to the high cliffs above the oasis, she's unconscious so there isn't much we can do. I'm sorry."

Sokka felt numb. He ran to the inn, where the men were lodged. "I'm going to be away tonight. Don't worry." He ran to the oasis, not bothering to stop at the guards posted at the front. He barreled past them down the drawbridge. He nearly crashed into a tree, only then did he stop. She was lying on the ground, her hands loosely locked around her left knee, with her head balanced it. Her eyes were closed, and she breathed gently, like she was sleeping. But there were raised bumps all over her skin, and her face was pale.

"Karuko! Karuko! Wake up!" Sokka shouted. He tried to open her eyelids, but they weren't moving. "She won't wake up. Her body is making a last attempt to fightthe disease. That and she is communing with the dead." A silvery voice said behind him. Sokka spun around. "Yue?" The princess/moon goddess was floating in the air above him.

"Hello Sokka."

_Ooohhh cliffhanger. If you review, I'll be very happy!_

_P.S. I know the words "silvery voice" doesn't make very much sense, imagine something like chimes in the breeze._


	5. Epilogue

Sokka flung himself protectively over Karuko. "What are you doing here?" he demanded. Yue smiled her sweet smile. "Sokka, I know you've moved on. I'm not going to hurt her. But I thought you might want to know. She's only been mildly affected. She'll wake up in a few hours. She feels a lot worse because she doesn't know you love her. She loves you so much she'd die for you. You need to tell her you love her. It will heal her like nothing else can. The hives will go down if she is washed in the pool, where my mortal body dwells." Yue laid a small hand on his shoulder. "please Sokka. Don't let her go. She is the one." Yue faded away, leaving Sokka staring at Karuko. "Well if you can't trust a moon goddess, who can you trust?" he said to her. He looked around and remembered her words. "Bathe her in the poll where my mortal body dwells." That must mea the pool. Sokka was nervous about putting her in it. If her body accidentally set koi fish off, it would wreak havoc. Sokka tore a thick strip off his shirt and dipped it in the water it made slight ripples, but didn't affect the fish. He carefully went over her head, neck, arms, and face. After thinking about it, he rolled up her pants and took off her shoes. The bumps disappeared soon after. He settled down next to her to wait for her to wake up.

Sokka jerked awake when he felt her stirring beside him. "Sokka?" she whispered. He knelt next to her. "Karuko, it's me I'm here. Are you alright?" She nodded and hewld out weak arms to him. He gently wrapped her in his arms and held her. "I've missed you Sokka." She said quietly. Sokka kissed her forehead. "I love you Karuko." She stiffened in his arms. "Love? You. Love me? How?" He smiled. "Because you're wonderful, and sweet and kind. What more can I ask for?" She relaxed and nestled inot his arms. "Did you know I love you too?" Sokka looked in her eyes. They were strangely shadowed as if she feared letting him see her emotions.

Sokka let her stay there while she recovered her strength. He felt in his pocket for some jerky, and bumped into her necklace. "Oh yeah. Karuko? I wanted to give you this. It would mean a lot to me." He said simply.

Karuko slid it over her head and pulled her hair free. She adjusted the stone till it was around front and looked at him. "I'd be honored." Then Sokka gently kissed her. It felt quiet and sweet. She smiled at him. "I love you."


	6. Authors Note

Authors Note: Sorry about the blanked out bit in chapter 3. I don't know if it's just my computer or if it's everyone's, but I'm putting what should there in here. It's a letter from Karuko to Sokka.

Dear Sokka,

I'm sending this the day after you leave. Hopefully it will get there pretty soon after you leave. This is my messenger bird. If you put something in the capsule and give him a bite to eat, he'll leave. What do you think of mediating? I think that it's pretty good for staying calm. What color are the seals around your home? Ours are white with black spots around the tail. Pakku is teaching Rachu how to make a wave. She can't make it last very long, but we have great confidence in her. How's Katara doing? The stone sent along with the letter is a powerful stone for waterbenders, it will keep her strong in child birth. It was given to me by an old healer who I protected. I have no need of it, but your sister might like it. Where do you run at home? I miss you, please write soon,

Karuko


End file.
